Megiddo Knightmare Frames
Knightmare Frames are humanoid war machines developed by the Holy Britannian Empire. Unveiled during the invasion of Japan, Knightmare Frames are almost exclusively used in place, and sometimes on par with the practically obsolete main battle tanks. The name "Knightmare Frame" is a play on the word nightmare and a knight's mare. There also exists a derivative type of war machine based on the Knightmare Frames called Knight Giga Fortress. Overview Knightmare Frames often have a humanoid shape and are usually between four and five meters tall. In addition to the standard range of bipedal movement, Knightmare Frames are equipped with Landspinners, self-propelled roller skates attached to the ankles of the machines, which allow them to achieve high mobility and speeds on most terrain. Visual data is gathered through Factsphere sensors, which have thermographic capability and an array of other data-collection functions which are collated in real-time. Factspheres are commonly protected under a layer of armor which can be retracted to improve system sensitivity. Knightmare Frames are piloted from a cockpit set in the protruding 'hump back' in the unit. The cockpit is a self-contained control center which can be ejected in case of emergency. Knightmare Frames are powered by the Yggdrasil Drive, a fictional energy source. Its centerpiece is a Sakuradite device called the Core Luminous, wherein a cube of unknown composition is weightlessly suspended. The cube revolves at high speeds during a state of drive activation known as Yggdrasil Resonance, apparently involved in the conduction of electricity. The technology is named after the Yggdrasil, the world tree of Norse mythology. The drive is recharged through a Sakuradite energy filler. Knightmare Frames are typically armed with rocket-propelled anchors called Slash Harkens and a number of other weapons. Mass-production models usually carry handheld rifles and a number of Chaos Mines, cylindrical air burst grenades that spray deadly shrapnel over a small area. Less common equipment, though more widespread as the series progresses, are Maser Vibration Swords (MVS), a form of vibroblade which oscillates at a high ratio to cut through almost anything, and Hadron Cannons, powerful energy cannons which can obliterate almost anything in their path. Late in 2017, Float Systems, devices which allow Knighmares to fly, are introduced, and by 2018 also fall into common use. History The creation and development of Knightmare Frames is roughly divided into individual ages, which mark the birth of a new kind of weapon platform and its evolution into a full-fledged combat system. First Age: Infancy The beginnings of the Knightmare Frame came from the creation of 'emergency survival cockpits' for conventional vehicles. Equipped with rocket engines to fly the crew away from the wreck, the contraptions were soon equipped with artificial legs to allow greater mobility. Limited room inside said vehicles restricted the number of legs to two. Though not a weapon in any sense of the word, the 'walking cockpits' provided the base form for their successors. First Generation Machine(s): Walking Tanks Second Age: Turning Point Several years later, the creation of several common Knightmare Frame technologies, such as the Factspheres and Landspinners, lead to the funding for Knightmare Frame prototypes. However, the new technologies performed erratically, and the research was outsourced to military-based robotics projects and social-oriented programs. The former was assigned to a Britannian Army Special Division, the Advanced Special Envoy Engineering Corps (ASEEC), while the latter went in the hands of a private group, the Ashford Foundation. The foundation implemented technologies related to training and education, enabling the entire Knightmare Frame program to make progress fluidly. The bipedal weapon was nicknamed 'Knightmare' by the Army but its non-offensive equipment was referred to as 'Frame' by civilians. The union of those two terms gave birth to the name 'Knightmare Frame'. Second Generation Machine(s): Basic Knightmare Frame Third Age: Archetype With the results gained from the two separate programs, Knightmare Frames were developed in combat-effective platforms. Use of Sakuradite became paramount in making the Knightmare Frames perform to expectations, resulting in the mineral's value increasing greatly, turning it into resource as important as fossil fuel in international politics. The Third Age also marked the creation of the Ganymede prototype, manufactured and designed by the Ashford Foundation. Its test pilot, Marianne, quickly became famous and was granted knighthood, before eventually getting married to the Britannian Emperor. However, the company suffered great loss when Marianne was assassinated. The Ashford Foundation eventually retired from its business and its employees were disbanded. The truth on the Empress' death was never truly elucidated but rumors suggest that her downfall was caused by a political feud meant to keep the rising Ashford Foundation in check. Around the same time as the Ganymede's introduction, Britannia's chief rival, the European Union, also manufactures its own knightmare model, the Panzer Hummel, which soon enters mass production and distribution to several European state military forces. Third Generation Machine(s): KF-X00 Ganymede, Mk3-E2E8 Panzer Hummel Fourth Age: Implemation The Fourth Age saw the introduction of the RPI-11 Glasgow, the first mass-production weapons platform. Its abilities allowed the Britannian Empire to easily dominate Japan during the invasion in 2010 a.t.b. The Glasgow moved on to become the baseline unit for the Britannian Army, though it is eventually made obsolete. Some Glasgow units are still used by the Knightpolice for law enforcement, and other countries have used it as a base in the creation of their own Knightmare Frames. Meanwhile, to counter the Britannians, the EU and Chinese Federation create their own Fourth Generation Knightmare Frames using their technology variations, and resistance forces in the recently occupied Area 11 (Japan) have also begun to use Britannian Glasgows as the basis of their own designs. Fourth Generation Machine(s): '''RPI-11 Glasgow, RPI-11 Knightpolice, RMI-13 Portman, Type-10R Burai, Type-1R Burai Kai, Mk4-O3T3 Nashorn, TQ-19 Gun Ru, UR-21 Huang Feng Fifth Age: Evolution Following the success of the Knightmare Frames against conventional weapons of war, attention was turned to creating Knightmare Frames intended to destroy similar weapons, including other Knightmare Frames. The Sutherland is the result of this. The Sutherland features improvements to cockpit comfort and function, better mobility, and increased close-combat capabilities to emphasize its role as an anti-robot weapon. Second Princess Cornelia and her bodyguards make use of the Gloucester, a Sutherland variant designed specifically to combat other Knightmare Frames, reflecting the Chinese Federation and the EU's development of their own Knightmare Frames. '''Fifth Generation Machine(s): RPI-13 Sutherland, RPI-209 Gloucester, RMI-U14 Portman II, Mk5-F2C4 Panther, Mk5-H4N6 Leopard Sixth and Seventh Ages: Missing and Continuation The sixth age features almost no improvements in Knightmare Frame technology aside from various experimental tech, thus earning it the moniker "Missing Generation". The creation of the Seventh Generation Lancelot marked the first significant innovation. Sakuradite is not only used in the Yggdrasil Drive, but is also scattered throughout the frame, increasing performance dramatically in all areas. This allows the Lancelot to effectively employ the MVS (Maser Vibration Sword) and electromagnetic shielding. In addition to the frame, sakuradite is also used in the VARIS (Variable Ammunition Repulsion Impact Spitfire), with the intent of giving it the strength to survive a direct hit. This kind of rapid development completely defies the notion of general purpose and mass production units, resulting in the Lancelot being a unique machine. Following the Lancelot, Britannia follows up with multiple Seventh Generation prototypes, each equipped with their alotment of unique weapons, defensive measures and overall capabilities. These prototypes usually end up in the hands of the best Knightmare Frame pilots Britannia had to offer, namely the elite Knights of the Round. But despite the time it took the Britannians to develop this far, the EU and Chinese Federation are both quick to create their own Seventh Generation Knightmare Frames, and even the recently formed organization Black Knights also manage to get their hands on a few. On the side, the Seventh Generation also sees the creation of a new weapon concept dubbed the Knight Giga Fortress. Rather than a humanoid design, the KGF is exactly as its name sounds: a large mobile fortress many times the size of an average KF, usually mounting advanced weapons and defense systems. So far, only Britannia has pursued the concept, developing the first operational prototype, the Siegfried. However, it has been rumored that the EU has also taken interest in the knight giga fortress, with at least one of their member nations setting out to create their own version. Sixth Generation Machine(s): IFX-V301 Gawain Seventh Generation Machine(s): Z-01 Lancelot, Z-01/D Lancelot Conquista, RZA-1A Galahad, RZA-2B Palamedes, RZA-3F9 Tristan, RZA-4ED Dinadan, RZA-5SI Lucan, RZA-6DG Mordred, RZA-8SR Safir, RZA-9LN Ywain, RZA-10JS Percival, RZA-11UB Bedivere, RZA-12SS Sagramore, FXF-503Y Siegfried, Mk7-B7R1 Loewe, Mk7-W5L2 Drache, XT-409 Shen Hu, XT-414 Guan Yu, Type-02 Guren Mark II, Type-02/F1A Guren Kashoshiki, Type-3F Gekka Eighth Age: Distribution Following the massive development of the Seventh Age, each of the three superpowers were faced with a new challenge: the distribution of such advanced technology over the large numbers of their individual militaries. Thus began the Eighth Age, which focused almost solely on "quantity" compared to the Seventh Age's "quality". Here, new KF designs are created based on the various prototypes of the previous age. While by comparison these production type machines are decidedly less exceptional than their original prototypes, they are still a large step from any production KF seen before. As such, the Eighth Age is something of an internal cold war between the superpowers, with whoever develops the most KFs and sending them out to their militaries the quickest being the victor. The first Eighth Generation Knightmare Frame to be developed is the Vincent, which is based on the original Seventh Generation prototype Lancelot. Eighth Generation Machine(s): RPI-212 Vincent, RPI-212A Vincent Commander, RPI-212B Vincent Ward, RPI-215 Exeter, RPI-221 Lancaster, RMI-U21 Bristol, RPI-V4L Gareth, FXF-635F Fafnir, FXG-709R Geraint, FXS-893Y Sieg, Mk8-M9X4 Jaguar, XV-518 Bai Hu, Type-04/F1C Zangetsu, Type-05/F2D Akatsuki, Type-05S/F2G Akatsuki Jikisanshiyo, Type-05S/F2M Akatsuki Mizushiki, Type-05S/F2S Akatsuki Seisoukenshiki, Type-07A/F3A Amaterasu, Type-07S/F3B Susanoo, Type-07T/F3C Tsukiyomi, Type-17/AGF Toride Knightmare Frame Listing Black Knights *IFX-V301 Gawain *Type-02/F1A Guren Kashoshiki *Type-04/F1C Zangetsu *Type-05/F2D Akatsuki *Type-05S/F2F Akatsuki Jikisanshiyo *Type-05S/F2M Akatsuki Mizushiki *Type-05S/F2S Akatsuki Seisoukenshiki *Type-07A/F3A Amaterasu *Type-07S/F3B Susanoo *Type-07T/F3C Tsukiyomi *Type-19R/AGF Toride Holy Britannian Empire *FXF-503Y Siegfried *FXF-635F Fafnir *FXG-709R Geraint *FXS-893Y Sieg *IFX-V301 Gawain *RMI-U14 Portman II *RMI-U21 Bristol *RPI-13 Sutherland *RPI-209 Gloucester *RPI-212 Vincent *RPI-212A Vincent Commander *RPI-212B Vincent Ward *RPI-215 Exeter *RPI-219 Lancaster *RPI-V4L Gareth *RZA-1A Galahad *RZA-2B Palamedes *RZA-3F9 Tristan *RZA-4EK Dinadan *RZA-5LI Lucan *RZA-6DG Mordred *RZA-8SR Safir *RZA-9WN Ywain *RZA-10JS Percival *RZA-11UB Bedivere *RZA-12SS Sagramore *Z-01 Lancelot *Z-01/D Lancelot Conquista European Union *Mk3-E2E8 Panzer Hummel *Mk4-O3T3 Nashorn *Mk5-F2C4 Panther *Mk5-H4N6 Leopard *Mk5-S5P3 Barrakuda *Mk7-B7R1 Loewe *Mk7-W5L2 Drache *Mk8-M9X4 Jaguar Chinese Revolutionary Army *TQ-19 Gun Ru *XT-409 Shen Hu *XT-414 Shen Wu *XT-417 Shen Que *XT-420 Shen Long *XV-518 Bai Hu